Tue Dec 03 20:59:07 UTC 2024: ## Tamil Nadu CM Demands Caste-Based Census, Accuses BJP of Blocking Social Justice
**Chennai, December 4, 2024** – Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has urged the BJP government to immediately conduct a caste-based census, arguing it is essential for implementing equitable policies and ensuring equal opportunities for all citizens. Speaking at the All India Federation for Social Justice’s national conference on Tuesday, Mr. Stalin criticized the BJP’s reluctance to conduct the census, which was due in 2021, alleging it is a deliberate attempt to obstruct social justice.
He linked the BJP’s opposition to the caste-based census with its resistance to women’s reservation, stating that both actions demonstrate a disregard for the rights of marginalized communities. Mr. Stalin highlighted the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly’s resolution calling for the census and emphasized the DMK government’s commitment to social justice through the establishment of various commissions in the state aimed at ensuring equitable representation in education, employment, and promotions.
The Chief Minister further accused the BJP of failing to fully implement the 27% reservation for Backward Classes in Union government departments and of actively opposing the progress of marginalized communities by proposing an economic criterion for reservation. While acknowledging the importance of financial assistance for the poor, he stressed that reservation should be based on social backwardness, not solely on economic status. He explicitly opposed extending reservation to the general category based solely on economic factors.
First Piper 